The Photographs that Shaped the Black Arts Movement in the Mid-20th Century

Photography is often touted as the most democratic and accessible medium in the visual arts. Today, the majority of us carry phones equipped with powerful, easy-to-use cameras that capture our lives and the world around us, transforming each of us into a documentarian at a moment’s notice. This omnipresence shapes our understanding of art and culture and often serves as a critical tool for political and social change.

The same is true for a forthcoming exhibition at the Mississippi Museum of Art. Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955-1985 transports viewers to the mid-20th century, when the medium rose to prominence not only for artists but also for organizers, activists, and cultural icons. Featuring works by more than 100 photographers, the expansive exhibition ranges from editorial and commercial commissions to self-portraits and mixed-media social critiques. Many of the works push back against the state-sanctioned racism of the Jim Crow era and highlight the acts of protest that emerged from such discrimination.

a black and white photo of a crowd picketing — Ernest Withers, I Am A Man, Sanitation Workers Strike, Memphis, Tennessee, March 28, 1968. Gelatin silver print, 7 ½ x 12 13/16 inches. Image © Dr. Ernest C. Withers, Sr., courtesy of the Withers Family Trust

Included is a graphic collage by Ralph Arnold titled “Above This Earth, Games, Games” that splices cut-outs of football matches with images of war and destruction. Taken that same year, 1968, was Ernest Withers’s captivating shot of Memphis sanitation workers picketing following the death of two employees. Creating a visual wall of signs declaring “I Am A Man,” the strikers in suits and hats demand both better working conditions and dignity and respect.

Cultural touchstones like the enigmatic musician and philosopher Sun Ra also appear. In a dynamic, black-and-white photo by Ming Smith, the jazz leader spins in front of the band, his glittering garb appearing like a halo of brilliant sparks.

Exhibition curators contextualize the show in a quote from Julian Bond, a civil rights leader who helped establish the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee: “Pictures told, for those who could not see themselves, of the strength and beauty of the people, of the hostility and anger of the opposition, and of the promise of a world free of racism.”

Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955-1985 is on view from July 25 to November 8 in Jackson.

a collage with fields of color and cutout figures preaching, playing football, at war, and more — Ralph Arnold, Above This Earth, Games, Games, 1968, collage and acrylic on canvas, 45 x 45 inches. Image courtesy of Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College, Chicago

a black and white photo of the musician in a space costume — Ming Smith, Sun Ra Space II, New York, New York, 1978, gelatin silver print, 6 x 8 13/16 inches. Image © Ming Smith

a portrait of a young Black woman with a sculptural silver necklace — Kwame Brathwaite, Untitled (Portrait of Manasie Ree Horn with Reels as Necklace), c. 1970, inkjet print, 29 ½ x 29 ½ inches. Image © Kwame Brathwaite

a black and white photo of a photographer capturing a young Black girl looking into a shop window — Doris Derby, Member of Southern Media photographing a young girl, Farish Street, Jackson, Mississippi, 1968, gelatin silver print, 12 7/8 x 8 5/8 inches. Image © Doris A. Derby

a photo of a stylish couple walking along a street with their backs to the photographer — Horace Ové, Walking Proud, Notting Hill Carnival, c. 1972, inkjet print, 34 x 24 inches. Image © Sir Horace Ové

a photo of a photographer capturing himself in a mirror while wearing a red sweater — Barkley L. Hendricks, Self-Portrait with Red Sweater, 1980 (printed 2023), chromogenic print. Image © Barkley L. Hendricks, courtesy of the Estate of Barkley L. Hendricks and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

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